


Midnight Masks and Slippers of Glass

by newdog14



Series: Rare Pair Fairy Tales [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: 20k words, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, BUT IT'S NOT DETAILED I PROMISE, Background Adriami, Body mutilation, Cinderella AU, Costume Parties & Masquerades, F/M, Fairy Tale Retellings, Fluff, Magic, Might be a good idea to read this on a computer, Tooth Rotting Fluff, felinette - Freeform, minor blood mentions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-23
Updated: 2019-05-23
Packaged: 2020-03-09 21:31:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18925378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/newdog14/pseuds/newdog14
Summary: “I hope you don’t mind me intruding on your hiding spot then,” Marinette said, and she meant it. There was something about this boy that drew her in, and she didn’t want to leave him just yet, but she didn’t want to be a bother either.“Not in the slightest,” he said. He smiled again, his green eyes practically sparkling in the moonlight that filled the courtyard. The music from inside shifted to something light and elegant, and he held out his hand to her. “While we’re here though, would you dance with me?”Marinette smiled as she took his hand, “It would be my pleasure, monsieur.”





	Midnight Masks and Slippers of Glass

**Author's Note:**

> So this took forever. I thought it would be a quick write, but I was wrong, horribly wrong, and now I've got a little over 45 pages of fluff to gift you all with. I hope you guys enjoy it!
> 
> Also, major shout out to @nottesilhoutte for being my beta reader for this massive undertaking, this fic may never have been finished without you, and it certainly wouldn't be as good.

Once upon a time, in a far away kingdom, a young girl lived with her parents. They were a beautiful family, their house always filled with smiles and love and fresh sweets. They lived happily together for years, until one fateful day when the young girl’s mother fell ill and died. She and her father mourned together, their home now empty of the light and mirth that had once filled its halls. They buried her mother in the garden, and the girl planted a tree to mark the grave. They tended it together and it grew tall and strong, and after a time, things returned to a semblance of normality, of happiness even.

Then one day the girl’s father found a new wife, who herself was a widow with two daughters of her own. The five of them became a family, and the girl’s house was brighter and more filled with mirth than it had been since her mother’s death. Until one fateful day when her father fell victim to a sudden illness, and he too died. The young girl was devastated by his loss, and even more so when she realized she was the only member of her little family who was.

With her father gone, the girl’s stepfamily showed their true colors, and she found herself all alone in a family built on wickedness and lies. They stripped her of her status as a lady of the house and treated her as nothing more than a servant instead. The girl did her best to stay strong, to follow her mother’s final advice to always face the world with kindness, but it wore on her to do so.

She did her best though, and she took solace in what few joys she was allowed, all the while dreaming of a time when she’d be free of this home, and the cruelty of those who were meant to be her family.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Marinette awoke to the sound of birdsong, and the warm feeling of sunshine on her face. The bright, cheery chirping of songbirds was her sign to get out of bed, though she wished she didn’t have to. She hadn’t been allowed to sleep in for five years now, but that hadn’t done much to break her habit of wanting to.

Nonetheless, if she didn’t get up now, she wouldn’t have breakfast ready in time for when her stepfamily woke up, and that would only lead to a scolding. So Marinette forced herself up, stretching in the sunlight and sending a smile to the birds outside. She opened the window as she passed it, then shed her nightgown in exchange for her work dress.

One of the bolder birds, a blue jay that Marinette had befriended with the help of birdseed, fluttered through her open window to perch on her vanity.

“Good morning, Duusu,” Marinette said, taking a seat while she brushed her hair. Duusu chirped his own greeting back at her. “Seems like it’ll be a lovely day, don’t you think?”

Duusu tweeted once more, and Marinette liked to think he was agreeing with her. She tied her hair back into pigtails, and smiled at her reflection. Her mother had always said that nothing could improve a day like being smiled at, and while she’d meant it as a reason to smile at others, Marinette liked to smile at herself as well too, just in case no one else did that day.

“Well, I’d best head down to the kitchen before it gets too late,” Marinette said, smiling at her feathered friend. She grabbed her apron off her chair and pulled it on quickly, then slipped on her shoes. “But if you can make the trip to the kitchen window, I’ll be sure to make you and your friends some breakfast too.”

Duusu chirped happily, then flew out of her window and back outside. Marinette left her attic bedroom, humming as she made her way down the curling staircase the led directly to the kitchen. Duusu was waiting for her at the window when she arrived, and she grabbed the bag of birdseed she kept before opening the window for him and setting out enough for him and any other bird that might be in the area. Almost immediately Duusu was joined by an orange songbird, who Marinette had also recently managed to befriend.

“Good morning, Orikko,” she said, and Orikko trilled back at her before descending on his food.

Marinette set about making breakfast, humming along to whatever tune her birds sang for her. Or they sang along to whatever she hummed. It was hard to say which it was, as they’d had this routine for so long.

Her peaceful morning could only last so long though, and all too soon her music was interrupted by the shrill bells her stepfamily used to call for her every morning. Marinette sighed as she gathered their breakfast plates. “And so begins another day.”

Duusu and Orikko trilled encouragingly, and Marinette smiled her thanks at them before setting off. Chloé’s room was closest, and Marinette visited it first.

“About _time_ ,” Chloé sneered, still laying in bed. “Are you trying to starve me?”

“Of course not, Chloé,” Marinette said, “Just trying not to drop anything.”

Chloé scoffed. “Pity the years haven’t done anything to improve your clumsiness. You’re lucky we keep you around at all, with how many dishes you break.”

Marinette said nothing. Having a conversation with Chloé was unpleasant at any time of the day, but the blonde was particularly vicious early in the morning. Now that breakfast had been delivered, Marinette’s best option was to move on.

Unfortunately, moving on meant going to the room of her second, and in Marinette’s opinion much worse, stepsister. Lila didn’t greet her when she entered the room, opting to ignore Marinette in favor of choosing a dress for the day. That was fine by Marinette, as Lila’s words were vile, and only over caused trouble.

Marinette set Lila’s breakfast on the table and was about to flee the room when the brunette cleared her throat pointedly. Marinette swallowed her sigh and turned to face Lila, who was still focused on her dresses. “Is there anything else I can get for you, Lila?”

“My shoes need to be polished, and there’s a tear in my favorite cloak.”

“I’ll take care of it before the day ends,” Marinette said, even though Lila’s shoes had just been polished last week and she wouldn’t need her cloak until winter. It was best to just agree.

“See that you do,” Lila said, finally choosing a dark orange gown. Marinette left the room to deliver breakfast to the final member of her household, the only person Marinette had met that she would actually call wicked, her stepmother Audrey.

The woman was already fully dressed and waiting at her breakfast table, going over a few documents. Marinette set the breakfast platter on the table, then poured her stepmother a cup of tea before stepping back to await her list of chores for the day. Audrey took her time, sipping her tea as she read, leaving Marinette to squirm for a bit before setting down her paperwork to look at her stepdaughter with disdain.

“The curtains throughout the house need cleaning, and the floor in the entryway needs to be scrubbed and polished as well,” she said, then paused to sip her tea again. “I also need you to go into town to deliver a few dresses for me, and if you have any shopping to do, take care of that as well. Lunch will be at noon and dinner at seven. Is that all clear?”

“Yes, Madam,” Marinette said. “Is there anything else I can get for you this morning?”

“No, you are dismissed.”

Marinette left the room, careful to keep a steady pace until after she’d shut the door behind her. Then she bolted back to the kitchen, mentally planning out how long it would take her to complete all the tasks she’d been assigned, as well as her regular dusting, sweeping, and gardening. _It’s going to be a long day._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Not so far away from Marinette’s home was a castle, which served as a summer home for the royal family. Any day there was busy, but this particular day was especially so, as the staff prepared for a grand three day festival.

Officially, the festival was intended as a celebration of the youngest prince’s recent engagement to a princess from a nearby kingdom. Unofficially, it the was the king’s most desperate attempt to find his eldest son a wife.

“ _Everyone_ , Sire?” questioned his advisor, pausing in her writing to look him in the eye. King Gabriel sighed.

“Yes, Nathalie, everyone,” he said, rubbing his temples in frustration. “Emilie suggested it, and I can no longer afford to be picky. The boy needs a wife, I don’t care what background she comes from. Surely there’s at least one woman in the kingdom who won’t take offense to him.”

“Of course, Sire,” Nathalie said, resuming her note taking. “Does the prince know of this yet?”

“He knows,” Gabriel said, in a tone which left no doubts about how well _that_ particular conversation had gone.

Across the castle, the two princes were making their own preparations for the festival, which currently meant enduring a fitting for new suits. The two boys were only a year apart in age, but they could not be more different in disposition.

The younger, Adrien, was kind and soft spoken. He always looked for the best in everyone, to a point that some might call naive, ‘some’ being his brother. Félix was more stern; he had been trained from birth on how to rule a kingdom, and while he was a brilliant strategist and a genius with economics and matters of state, he lacked certain social graces to a point that some might call rude, ‘some’ being the several dozen suitors he’d rejected over the past few years.

“I don’t see why you’re so against getting married, though,” Adrien said, his focus drifting from his brother as his thoughts turned, as they so often did, to his own fiancé. “Kagami is just incredible, I don’t know what I would have done without her.”

Félix rolled his eyes, though his brother was too lost in his daydreaming to notice. “I’m not against getting married. I’m against being swarmed by commoners who are going to be throwing themselves at me in the hopes that I’ll lose all sense and fall in love with one of them.”

“Well that’s why it’s going to be a masquerade, so that you’ll be able to mingle,” Adrien said, “It’ll be fun!”

Félix sighed. He and Adrien defined fun very differently, and for Félix, fun was sitting down in his favorite armchair with a good book. Adrien, on the other hand, loved nothing more than to meet new people, and couldn’t quite grasp why anyone wouldn’t find it exciting. “I don’t see why it’s so important that I find a wife _now_ , Mother and Father are _fine._ ”

“Well it may not have been, except for your reputation of sending off possible suitors in tears.” the boys turned as their mother entered the room, a teasing smile on her face.

“That happened _one_ time,” Félix muttered. In truth, it had happened seven times, but Félix had only seen it once and his mother lacked the heart to tell him otherwise. She knew he didn’t _mean_ to be so harsh with his suitors, but much like his father, Félix had never had much luck with talking to those around him. Emilie’s hope was that he would find someone who might help him improve on that skill, as she had with Gabriel.

“And yet the reputation stands,” Emilie said, giving her son a stern look. “It makes the people nervous for the future of the kingdom, their crown prince being so inept at courtship.”

Adrien snicked, and Félix gaped at their mother. “I am not _inept_.”

“Only at wooing women,” Adrien said, grinning as his brother glared at him. “By the way, I hope your mask is going to cover up that glare of yours. Otherwise no one will go near you for the whole three days.”

“It does, not that it should matter,” Félix said. If not for the tailor pinning his suit, he would have crossed his arms in annoyance.

“What have you boys decided to go as?” Emilie asked. She hadn’t seen their masks yet, and their suits were elegant but simple, and gave her no clues past basic colors. Adrien’s suit was white and gold, while Félix’s was solid black.

“I’m going to go as a joker,” Adrien said, grinning with excitement.

“How appropriate,” Felix muttered under his breath.

“How _lovely_ ,” Emilie said. “And what about you, Félix?”

“A black cat,” he answered. Félix’s goal for the festival was to attract as little attention as possible, and in his mind the best way to do that was with a boring costume. The fact that black cats were considered to be unlucky was just a bonus for him.

“I’m sure you’ll be quite the debonair cat, dear,” Emilie said. She understood her son’s line of thinking instantly, but she wasn’t concerned. Félix was a difficult person to ignore, for all that he tried to fade into the background.

“I’m glad you’re both prepared,” Emilie said, “The festival will be here before you know it!”

“Wonderful,” Félix muttered.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Marinette was just finishing up with polishing the floor of the entryway when the bell rang. She hadn’t been told of any visitors, but then again, she very seldom was, unless something needed to be prepared beforehand. She set aside her cleaning supplies and went to answer the door, greeting a familiar young man with a smile.

“Good morning, Kim.”

“Morning Marinette. An invitation the Royal Festival,” he said, holding out a letter marked with the royal seal. “Every unwed maiden is invited to attend.”

Marinette took the letter with care, holding it delicately, as if it were truly precious. For her, it was. “Thank you!”

Kim bowed, then took his leave. Marinette kicked the door shut behind her, turning the letter in her hands and debating whether or not she should open it. It would probably be best not to, but she was _very_ curious. A festival would be fun, and Marinette’s life was severely lacking in fun.

She’d just decided that it wouldn’t hurt for her to take a peak when Chloé came downstairs. “What’s that?”

Chloé marched forward and plucked the letter out of Marinette’s hands without waiting for an answer. It only took reading a few lines before the blonde began squealing in excitement, and Lila and Audrey were both quick to make their way downstairs to hear what was going on.

“We’ve been invited to the Royal Festival!” Chloé said, handing the invitation to her sister. “We _must_ get new dresses, and new shoes!”

Lila smiled as she read the letter herself. “It’s a masquerade this year, so we’ll have to think of costumes as well.”

“The courier who delivered it said that every unwed maiden was invited,” Marinette said, trying to keep the hope out of her voice. If she seemed too excited, Chloé and Lila would do everything they could to keep her from going, just like they did with everything else Marinette tried to do.

“Did he?” Audrey asked, holding out her hand for the letter. The three girls waited quietly while Audrey read the letter, a slow smile spreading across her face. “I see. Lila, Chloé, get ready to head into town, we need to order new dresses immediately.”

The two sisters ran back to their rooms to get ready, and Marinette shifted awkwardly in front of her stepmother. Marinette steeled her nerves, she’d never get to go if she didn’t ask, and there was no point in waiting to do so. “Will I be able to go the festival as well?”

Audrey gave her a look of put upon pity over her poorly concealed hope, and Marinette tried not to flinch. “Oh, dear, I’m afraid we just don’t have the money to get you a dress. I can’t exactly take you to the royal festival dressed like _that_.”

Marinette looked down at her work dress, trying not to squirm on her stepmother’s critical gaze. Her dress was simple, a plain pink skirt with a black bodice, and her apron was more cream than white, but it was hardly deserving of such scrutiny. Marinette took care of her clothes, keeping them clean and mending even the slightest of tears. But, if her dress was all Audrey was concerned about…

“What if I could get a dress for myself? One appropriate for the festival?”

Audrey hummed in thought. “ _If_ you can find a dress that wouldn’t embarrass us all by association, _and_ if you complete all of your chores leading up to the festival, I will _consider_ allowing you to attend the festival for a night.”

“Of course!” Marinette said, mind whirring. “Thank you, Madam.”

Chloé and Lila returned, bickering over whose dress would be the prettiest as they made their way outside, their mother following them. As the door swung shut on her stepfamily, Marinette allowed herself a happy squeal.

Chores were something she’d gotten used to doing, and over the past few years she’d perfected the quickest, most effective way to perform nearly every task she could be assigned. So all she really needed to do was get a dress and a mask. Marinette didn’t have any fancy things to wear _now_ , but she’d once been a proper daughter in this house, and her childhood had been filled with gowns that she’d kept safe over the years. It would be sad to ruin them, but if she could take her childhood dresses and make something appropriate for the festival with them, it would be well worth the loss.

Marinette spun in excitement, letting her skirt flare out around her as she spun. She could already picture herself at the festival, free of responsibilities and stepsisters, allowed to simply be herself and dance the night away. _I can’t wait._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As the ball crept closer, things grew more hectic for Marinette. Her list of chores was constantly growing, and when her stepsisters couldn’t think of anything else for her to do, they resorted to making messes for her to clean. Marinette had, at first, put it up to coincidence, but then Chloé tracked mud all through the hallways, and Lila ‘tripped’ on Marinette’s dust pan.

The petty antics of her sisters could no longer get to her though, not when she was so excited. They did slow her down a bit, but on the morning of the first festival night Marinette’s dress was complete. It was a simple pale pink, with a full skirt and a large black ribbon around the waist. She’d embroidered a few flowers in black thread along the bodice and at the edges of the skirt, though the rest of the dress was plain pink. Her mask was white, but she’d covered it in pink lace and sewn some flowers onto the top left of the mask. For the final touch, she was planning to wear her mother’s black jade earrings, a family heirloom that she’d carefully looked after since she was a child. She was unlikely to be the most eye catching girl at the festival, but that didn’t matter so long as she was _at_ the festival.

Unfortunately for Marinette, her stepfamily’s contempt for her knew no bounds, and once Audrey recognized that no ordinary chore would delay Marinette enough to leave her behind, it was only a matter of deciding on some less ordinary task to set her to.

Marinette had just finished beating the dust out of the rugs in the parlor when her stepmother sprung her trap.

“Marinette!”

She rushed to kitchen to answer her stepmother’s call, dread pooling in her stomach. Marinette had just finished her final chore of the day, but if she was being called on now that meant she was going to have to do something else before she could get ready, and it was already nearly sunset.

“Yes, Madam?” Marinette stood at attention, trying not to let her anxiety show. Seeing the pot Audrey was holding didn’t help though. _Did she change her mind about eating dinner at the festival?_

“Have you finished your chores?”

“Yes Madam,” Marinette said. “Is there anything else you’d like me to do before the festival?”

“Yes. When the night ends, we’ll surely be hungry,” Audrey said, slowly making her way over the empty hearth Marinette used to cook. “If you’re to come with us, however, whatever you prepare will need to be made quickly. Lentils will be perfect, I’m certain.”

Marinette watched in growing horror as Audrey tipped the pot into the hearth, spilled scores of lentils into the ashes that had accumulated there. Audrey gave her a truly wicked grin, and Marinette felt her hopes for a night of fun plummet.

“Oh dear, how clumsy of me,” Audrey said. “You’ll have to pick them out. If you manage it in time to go though, you’ll still be allowed to join us at the festival. But you must find _every single one_.”

Marinette bit back her protest that such a task would surely take her all night—that was undoubtedly the point. “Yes, Madam.”

Audrey left with victorious smirk, and Marinette knelt by the hearth and began sifting through the ashes. It was difficult work, and made even more so by the tears welling in her eyes. She would never be able to finish in time, and she knew it.

Her woes were interrupted by birdsong, and Marinette snapped her head up to look at the open window, where Duusu and Orikko were sitting. The birds flew through the window, and several others followed them. Marinette watched as the small birds worked together to fetch the lentils, locating and dropping them into the pot with more speed than she could ever have hoped to have on her own. The kitchen was filled with the plinking of lentils hitting the pot, and Marinette dried her tears on her apron as her feathered friends worked.

“Thank you! Thank you all so much!” Marinette said, unable to hold back her smile. She still had time! The birds flitted about until the pot was full once more, and not a single lentil could be found in the hearth. It made Marinette want to cry all over again, though this time it would be tears of joy.

Duusu chirped at her, a reminder that she did still need to actually get ready, and Marinette jumped up, grabbing the pot as she did and setting it safely on the kitchen table. She didn’t have an long to get ready as she would have liked, but surely she could still make herself presentable in time to go to the festival?

“Marinette!”

Her stepmother’s voice rang out from the parlor Marinette had just ran past, and she reluctantly stopped to answer the woman’s call.

“Can I get you something, Madam?”

Audrey was ready to go, dressed in a red and gold silk gown. She wasn’t wearing her mask yet, but it sat on the table in front of her. The base was red, with swirling gold patterns overlaid, creating a shining golden swan on one side, interspersed with red gems and just a touch of glitter. It was beautiful, and screamed “wealthy” with every detail.

“I’m just curious as to where you’re running off to in such a hurry,” Audrey said, eyeing the small girl with smug distaste.

“To get ready, Madam. You said I could go to the festival if I finished picking up the lentils, and I finished.”

Audrey raised an eyebrow. “Oh really? And what are you going to wear?” She eyed Marinette’s work dress with distaste again, and Marinette wondered if there was something wrong with it that she just couldn’t see.

“I made a…” Marinette trailed off at the sight of something pink dropping past the window. She rushed over, looking down to see her dress, lying outside, directly in a puddle of mud. _Oh no_.

Marinette pushed the window open and looked up, but there was no sign of whoever had thrown it, as if she didn’t already know.

“Mother! My mask won’t sit right!” Chloé yelled, before barging into the parlor with a pout, holding her mask in one hand. Chloé’s ball gown was yellow and white, covered in ribbons and lace in a way that fell just short of tacky and would make the girl impossible to ignore. Her mask was yellow, with white decals below the eyes, a white lace border, and a mix of yellow bows and white feathers on one side. It matched her dress perfectly, and once Audrey had helped her tie the mask over her face in a way that didn’t disturb her hair, which was tied back in a ponytail with ribbons that curled just so, her look was complete.

Once Chloé was situated, she and Audrey left the room, Marinette following. Lila was down the stairs next, her own mask already in place but leaving just enough of her face exposed that Marinette could see her triumphant smirk.

Lila was dressed as a fox; her mermaid style dress was a light brown mixed with intricate gold and orange details, with a long orange sash around her waist to imitate a tail. The mask was the true focal point of the outfit though, with different shades of brown covered in golden swirls, and long pointed ears that stood up above her dark brown curls. She might not immediately draw an onlooker’s eye the way Chloé’s dress did, but the details of her outfit would hold attention longer. Looking at the sisters together, it was clear to her that while Chloé would certainly draw the most attention, Lila would be the one to keep people interested. Knowing Lila, that effect was fully intentional.

“Are you both ready then?” Audrey asked, receiving nods from both her daughters. “Good, then we really must be on our way.”

“But, my dress,” Marinette said, following them outside. Now that she could see it in person, there was no doubt that the gown she’d worked so hard on was ruined.

“What about your dress, dear? I was under the impression you didn’t have one,” Audrey said, before her eyes landed on the pink bundle of fabric lying in the mud. “Oh, surely you don’t mean _that_.”

“Mother, you can’t let her wear that, the stain is going to be ghastly! She’d make a fool of us all!” Chloé said, crossing her arms in annoyance.

“Oh my, was that _yours_ ?” Lila asked, feigning innocence. “I’m so sorry, Marinette. It was mixed in with my things and I’d tossed it without looking, but it was so much lighter than the dresses I’m used to, and the window just _happened_ to be open…”

Lila was _lying,_ Marinette knew it, she’d never brought her dress out of her room. Audrey probably knew it too, but it didn’t seem to matter.

“Well then, now that that’s sorted, I’m afraid we must be going.”

“The festival will last three nights,” Marinette said, balling up her fists as she worked to keep her voice steady and even. “I can clean the dress, so can’t I go to at least one?”

Audrey looked at her in pity, and Marinette realized that the woman had _never_ intended to let her go to the festival.

“Marinette, I suppose I shouldn’t expect you to have realized, common as you are. But you see dear, this festival isn’t just for _fun_ . The king is very clearly trying to find Prince Félix a wife,” Audrey said, placing a hand on Marinette’s shoulder. “The attendance of dirty peasants like you will only make it more difficult for the prince to find _worthy_ young ladies, like your sisters. Do you understand dear?”

Marinette wanted to scream. She wanted to cry and shout and remind them all that she was only a servant because they’d forced her to be. But none of that would help. Instead, Marinette lowered her eyes, and spoke quietly. “Yes, Madam.”

“Good. We’ll return shortly after midnight,” Audrey led her stepsisters to the family carriage, and Marinette watched them depart, her despair growing with each passing moment.

She reached down to pull her ruined dress from the mud as the tears started to fall. She didn’t understand why Audrey had to let her get her hopes up. What had Marinette ever done to make her stepfamily hate her so much? To deserve so much misery?

As she lifted the dress something fell from the bundle of fabric, and Marinette reached down once more and plucked her mother’s earrings from the puddle. She had a moment of panic, searching for any damage, but the carved black stones remained the same as ever, if a bit dirtier now.

Marinette clutched them to her chest as she cried, everything had gone so wrong so quickly, all spiraling out of her control, if she’d ever had any at all. Marinette heard the inquisitive chirping of birds, and looked up to see Duusu perched on a branch above her. She gave him a watery smile.

“I’m sorry, Duusu,” she said, trying to wipe the tears away. “Thank you again for helping me, but I’m afraid it was all for nothing.”

Duusu chirped at her again, then flew down to the ground before hopping away, clearly trying to lead her somewhere. “It’s hopeless, Duusu. I can’t go to the festival like this.”

Duusu chirped at her once more, then flew back to her, tugging her skirt in the direction he wanted her to go. Marinette gave in, following him down through the grounds. She had nothing better to do, after all.

Duusu lead her down a familiar path, one she herself had tread into the ground from how often she’d walked it, so she knew where he was taking her long before she could see their destination. Though it filled her with warmth that her feathered friend would know to take her here.

Duusu lead Marinette to the edge of her family’s property line, where a large willow tree grew next to a small pond. As Marinette walked below the tree’s branches, she was overcome with a sense of safety, though her sadness lingered. She took a seat at the edge of the willow tree which marked her parents’ graves, and allowed herself the freedom to simply weep her sorrows away.

As Marinette wept, the birds who’d helped her find the lentils gathered around her, in branches and on the ground, all singing together in an effort to ease her sorrow. She didn’t realize it at first, but as her sobbing eased she noticed a distinctly human voice singing along as well, and when she looked up a fairy in red and black sitting in the tree above her.

“Hello, Marinette,” the fairy said, giving her a warm smile and bringing the singing to an end. Marinette’s eyes widened in shock, and she stared at the small creature in awe. The little being giggled at her. “My name is Tikki, and I am the spirit of this tree which you’ve looked after so carefully.”

“I…” Marinette had no words. The fairy was small, barely larger than a songbird, with large blue eyes and light red skin. Her hair was black, and her dress was dark red with black spots dotted across it, much like a ladybug, and her wings were tinted red as well.

“Marinette, I’d like to help you,” Tikki said, floating down to hover at the girl’s eye level. “I wouldn’t have this tree without you, after all, and you are a kind girl, unlike any other human I’ve met in recent memory.”

“Thank you?” Marinette said, still a bit in shock. She’d never known that there was a fairy living in this tree.

“You’re welcome!” Tikki said brightly, then gestured to the birds around them. “Now, my friends have told me that you’d like to go to a festival these next three nights, is that correct?”

“I...yes! Yes, it is, but it’s too late to do so now, surely,” Marinette said, frowning as she looked down at her muddied dress.

“Nonsense!” Tikki said, floating higher. “Up you go, and I’ll get you sorted.”

Marinette did as asked, and Tikki flitted about her, muttering to herself. The small being’s attention was caught by the earrings Marinette held cupped in her hands.

“Those are lovely,” Tikki said, “Were you planning to wear them?”

“Yes,” Marinette said, holding the earrings up with a fond smile. But then her eyes drifted back to her dress, and her smile dropped. “But my dress…”

“Don’t worry about it for now,” Tikki said, floating up to face Marinette once more. “Can you put the earrings on for me?”

Marinette did as asked, and Tikki smiled at her encouragingly. Suddenly the world was flooded with red and black spots, which Marinette quickly identified as ladybugs once they began to land on her. Marinette felt herself being overcome with warmth and serenity, and when the ladybugs flew off once more, she felt that nothing could stop her from reaching her goals.

She looked down at herself, gasping in surprise to see she was now wearing a beautiful ball gown colored red and black. She twirled just to see the skirt flare around her, before facing the pond and examining her reflection. The skirt of her dress was red, though it had many layers and she thought she could see some black below the tule that made up the top layers. There was a black ribbon around her waist, and the bodice was red with black lace stitched across it. Her mother’s black jade earrings gleamed, with not one speck of dirt left to cloud the characters carved into them. Her hair had been pulled into a bun and tied with red ribbons, and her face looked refreshed, and not at all like she’d just been crying.

“So, what do you think?” Tikki asked, seeming both nervous and excited.

“It’s amazing, Tikki!” Marinette said, spinning her skirt a bit as she looked at how the fabric shifted and shimmered in the light. Her shoes clinked with each step, and she lifted her skirt to see slippers made of red tinted glass. The whole outfit was incredible, like something out of a dream. _But_... “Just one thing.”

Tikki’s face fell, and Marinette rushed to continue. “The dress is perfect! But this festival is a masquerade.”

“Oh! Of course!” Tikki said, brightening. “Close your eyes!”

Marinette did, and felt the magic rush over her once again. “Okay, now open!”

Marinette now wore a red mask, trimmed with black lace and overlaid with a criss-crossing pattern of black lines and flowers that almost looked like spots. The mask also had two fans of black feathers pinned to it, one on each side. Her face was slightly obscured, but the black and red made her blue eyes seem brighter by comparison, and Marinette’s most important feature, her smile, was still fully visible. _Now_ she was truly ready to go to the festival.

“Thank you, Tikki,” Marinette said, turning back to the fairy. “This is incredible.”

“Of course!” Tikki said. “When you’re ready to return to your old dress, simply take off the earrings. So long as they’re the only thing you take off, the outfit will be ready to wear the next night. Just make sure you return home before you’re missed, I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

Marinette nodded, she could do that. She thanked the little being once more, then rushed off to the ball. _I can’t wait._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Félix was most likely the only person at the entire festival who wasn’t having fun there, but that wasn’t enough reason for his family to excuse him from the event, or even help to make it more tolerable, so while everyone else danced and socialized, Félix pouted in a corner, trying to look unapproachable. His brother had completely abandoned him in favor of introducing Kagami to every member of the court. He wasn’t sure why the two of them had even bothered with masks, given how often they shared their names.

Adrien was dressed as a joker, and to Félix he looked every bit as ridiculous as anticipated. To everyone else, however, he was quite handsome, and the green mosaic across his eyes made them pop, though most people agreed that the bells which dangled from the curled ends of the mask were a bit much. Kagami was far more refined, dressed as a red and black dragon. Her mask was carved into points that resembled scales, and it was topped with long horns. Her dress stood out from the sea of colors filling the ballroom, as it was styled in the fashion of her own country, all smooth lines and floral patterns.

On the surface, Adrien and Kagami seemed completely mismatched, from their style to their color schemes to their general demeanors. But anyone who knew them well could see how they balanced each other out, and how well suited to one another they were. Kagami helped Adrien to be more confident and outspoken about his desires, where Adrien helped Kagami to step back from formalities and just enjoy herself. Knowing they worked so well together brought joy to everyone who took joy from that sort of thing, namely their parents.

Queen Tomoe, masked as a tiger, and King Gabriel, masked as a silver and purple butterfly, sat at the high table, discussing the ball and the union of their two nations with ease. Queen Emilie, however, was more concerned with her elder son, and had made it her own personal mission to introduce every nice young woman she met to Félix.

The problem with this tactic was that while the queen was, technically, masked as a peacock, her mask was held by a stick, instead of tied in place by ribbons. As such she often removed it, making her own identity obvious and, by association, Félix’s identity as well. Within the first hour of the festival, Félix had gone from being completely ignored to completely _swarmed_ by women who were very obviously only interested in his wealth and status.

As Queen Emilie rejoined her husband, she was quite pleased with that development, thinking for certain that one of those girls would be able to catch Félix’s eye. Félix, on the other hand, was even more miserable than before, and was desperately looking for any possible escape route.

His savior came in an unusual form, especially so because something actually _good_ had come from its appearance, at least for Félix. For many years, the castle had been the preferred haunt of the most destructive black cat anyone had ever seen. It was impossible to catch, only seen after it had caused some form of chaos, and it took bad luck to all new levels. When it tore through the ballroom with a wheel of stolen cheese in it’s mouth, Félix silently forgave it for every inconvenience it had ever caused.

Guests stumbled out of the cat’s way, and out of the way of the servants attempting to catch it, and Félix used the opportunity to escape from the ballroom. He knew he’d have to return eventually, but for the moment he was free to hide in a courtyard outside, away from the loud party and the louder women vying for his attention.

The fresh air did wonders for his mood, and the soft sound of the music from inside melded with the sound of flowing water from the fountain to create a very soothing atmosphere, though it did nothing to make returning to the ballroom seem enticing. He peace was interrupted by the sound of rapid footsteps, and Félix sighed as he turned to face whichever would-be suitor had stumbled onto his hiding place.

Félix had expected squealing, or an attempt at seduction, or having his ear talked off. Instead, the girl collided with him, nearly knocking them both into the fountain.

As he steadied them, he met her eyes, which were the most beautiful shade of blue he’d ever seen. _Oh._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The royal festival was everything Marinette could have dreamed it to be and more. There was music and color everywhere, and tables laden with more food than she had ever seen before. There was even a fountain that had been filled with chocolate, which was the sort of thing she’d heard of as a child but never thought she’d actually be lucky enough to see.

Everything was incredible, and she couldn’t wait to explore further, but there was one problem.

“I don’t _know_ where he went, mother, that’s the _problem_.”

The sound of Chloé’s voice cutting through the noise of the crowd wasn’t exactly a shock, Marinette had known her stepfamily would be at the festival _somewhere_ , but the thought of being recognized still worried her, so she fled in the exact opposite direction of where Chloé’s voice had come from.

Marinette spotted an archway leading outside, and quickly slipped through, tossing a glance behind her to see if she’d been followed. In her haste to look behind though she forgot to check what was ahead, and walked right into someone.

She turned and found herself face to face with a boy in a black cat mask that obscured most of his face. His eyes were still visible though, a pale green that seemed brighter surrounded by the black of the mask.

“I am _so sorry_ ,” she said, just as he asked, “Are you alright?”

Marinette stepped back, out of his personal space, and gave him an apologetic smile. “I’m alright, thank you. And I’m very sorry for running into you, I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

Marinette glanced behind her again, but no one was within sight through the archway. Hopefully that meant she could stay here without risk of being seen. She turned back to see the boy frowning, and his own eyes moved to the archway before he spoke. “Was someone bothering you in the main hall?”

“Ah, no, not exactly,” Marinette said, only to realize too late that that was probably the best explanation she could have given. “There are just some people I’d rather avoid seeing tonight.”

The boy laughed, and Marinette smiled at the sound. “Now _that_ I understand. I’m here to avoid some rather unpleasant guests myself.”

“I hope you don’t mind me intruding on your hiding spot then,” Marinette said, and she meant it. There was something about this boy that drew her in, and she didn’t want to leave him just yet, but she didn’t want to be a bother either.

“Not in the slightest,” he said. He smiled again, his green eyes practically sparkling in the moonlight that filled the courtyard. The music from inside shifted to something light and elegant, and he held out his hand to her. “While we’re here though, would you dance with me?”

Marinette smiled as she took his hand, “It would be my pleasure, monsieur.”

It had been a long time since Marinette had danced with someone, but her partner was skilled enough to make up for it. As they spun around the courtyard Marinette forgot about everything else, lost in the grace of movement and the easy conversation that flowed between them.

Marinette learned that her partner had been taking dancing lessons since he could walk, that he loved reading and playing chess, and that his favorite book was _Morte d'Arthur_ . In turn, she told him she hadn’t danced for years, that she enjoyed drawing and gardening, and that her favorite book was the _Lais of Marie de France_.

She was so caught up in him that she didn’t even realize the time until she heard the clock striking twelve, and suddenly reality came crashing back to her. Tikki’s warning rang in her ears, as did her stepmother’s promise to be home shortly after midnight.

“Are you alright?” Marinette hadn’t realized they’d stopped moving until he spoke, and Marinette snapped her attention back to her dance partner, his green eyes now looking concerned.

“Yes! No. Er, I mean, I didn’t realize how late it was. I need to get home,” Marinette said, pulling back. The boy caught her hand though, stopping her.

“Will I see you again tomorrow night?”

Marinette hesitated. Would she be back tomorrow night? “I hope so. But I must get home on time.”

He nodded, then let go of her hand. Marinette smiled at him one last time before dashing off, determined to beat her stepfamily home so that she could see him again.

Only later, when she was safely in her room and her mother’s earrings were tucked away, did Marinette allow herself to let out her excitement. She hugged a pillow to her chest as she squealed over how well everything had gone.

That night she dreamed of green eyes and dancing, of kisses and weddings and fairytale endings. She didn’t know the name of the boy she’d spent the evening with, but he’d stolen her heart with ease.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next morning came slowly for the royal family, or at least, it did for most of them. Félix woke early, his mind still focused on the mysterious woman he’d met the previous night. She’d been beautiful, kind, intelligent, and so very genuine the whole night; he’d never met anyone like her before.

Félix was actually smiling as he got himself ready for the day, and when he made his way to the kitchen the palace staff stared in shock to see their prince in such a good mood, not that he noticed them. When he reached the kitchens Félix found a large wheel of cheese, then set about finding the palace’s resident trouble maker.

The black cat was in a courtyard in the east wing, and it eyed him with suspicion as Félix neared it. The prince set the cheese down as an offering, then backed away.

“I doubt you understand me, but you truly helped me last night. Thank you.”

Félix left the cat to its cheese, making his way to the library to await breakfast with his family. Had he looked back, he may have noticed something odd about the cat, which for just a moment didn’t seem to be a cat at all, but the prince was preoccupied with trying to remember where in the library he could find a copy of the _Lais of Marie de France_.

As it was, he never saw the bright green eyes and mischievous grin that watched him go.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When the royal family met for breakfast, Gabriel attempted to lecture his son about his sudden disappearance from the ball, but it quickly became apparent that the prince wasn’t listening to a word his father said.

Instead, Félix’s mind had drifted to a girl with brilliant blue eyes and a kind smile. Her voice had been soft and sweet, and she’d spoken to him about everything and nothing all at once, without a care for who he was, possibly not knowing at all. Still, she was charming and charismatic, and when he’d danced with her around the courtyard all he could think was that he’d wished the night could have lasted forever.

“Félix!” Adrien said, snapping his brother out of his daydream and giving him a knowing grin.

“Have you been listening at all?” Gabriel asked, sounding tired.

“My apologies, Father,” Félix said, feeling sheepish. He couldn’t understand how he’d become so distracted by a girl he’d only met once. He didn’t even know her _name_. How had he forgotten to ask such an important question? His mother would be so disappointed if she ever found out.

“Oh, don’t be so hard on him,” Emilie said, her own smile growing as she too realized what must have her son so distracted. “There’s no rush.”

Gabriel looked like he might protest, so Emilie insisted that he take a walk with her to ensure that preparations for the second night of the festival were on track. Félix would share the identity of his mystery girl when he was ready, she was certain.

Adrien, on the other hand, had no such patience, and was set to wheedle a name out of his brother the moment their parents had left the room. “So who is she?”

“I have no idea what you mean,” Félix said, glaring at his brother before pointedly moving his attention back to his book.

“You know that look I get when I think about Kagami?” Adrien asked, smirking. “You’ve been wearing the same look all morning. I want to know who put it there.”

Félix glared at his brother, another denial on the tip of his tongue, but he paused at the certainty on Adrien’s face. There was no way he would convince Adrien that he was imagining things, and they both knew it. Félix sighed in defeat.

“I’m not sure,” he admitted. Adrien gave him a confused look, so he elaborated. “I didn’t get her name.”

“Mother will be so disappointed,” Adrien said, shaking his head solemnly. “I know I’ve teased you about it, but I never thought you were _truly_ inept with social graces. I see now that I overestimated you.”

Félix glared. “It’s a masquerade! It’s meant to be anonymous.”

“No, it’s not,” Adrien said, “It’s meant to encourage bias free meetings. You still need to ask people their names, _especially_ if you’re going to fall in love with them.”

“I am _not_ in love,” Félix snapped. “We hardly know each other. I don’t think she even knew who I was.”

“And how do you expect to find her again if neither of you knows who the other is?” Adrien asked, deciding not to acknowledge the denial. Adrien loved his brother, but sometimes he could be awfully dense.

Félix couldn’t help the small smile that worked its way onto his face as he thought of her. “I’ll know. I’ve never met anyone like her before, Adrien.”

“What’s she like then?” Adrien asked. Perhaps Félix didn’t know her name, but Adrien was still curious about the the girl had captured his brother’s heart.

Félix looked up, his smile growing as he told Adrien all about the mysterious girl in red that had wandered into the courtyard last night, and how he couldn’t wait to see her again that night.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Marinette was in a very good mood that morning, and no amount of complaining from her stepsisters was going to ruin her happiness.

“And then he was just _gone_ ,” Chloé whined before dinner. “And he never came back to keep talking to us either.”

Marinette tried not to laugh, biting her tongue as she brought out the food. She hoped that wherever the prince had run off to, Chloé would be prevented from finding him there.

“I expect that you’ll find him tonight,” Audrey said, her tone leaving no room for arguments.

“Of course, mother,” Lila said, grinning sharply. “I’ll make sure to capture his attention tonight. He won’t be able to look away.”

“Please, he’ll be _mine_ by the end of the night,” Chloé bragged. Marinette kept her eyes focused on pouring tea, trying very hard not to roll her eyes.

“Girls, please, it isn’t a contest,” Audrey said, her smile sharp. “So long as _one_ of you manages, we all benefit.”

“Yes, Mother,” the sisters chorused. Marinette quickly looked over the table to make sure she’d brought everything out, she had, and then turned and made her way back to the kitchen. She was making her way past Chloé when her ankle caught on something, and she went down hard.

“Watch where you’re going, you klutz,” Chloé sneered, giving Marinette a smug smirk.

“I do hope you haven’t broken anything,” Audrey said, barely looking up from her tea. “This china was expensive.”

“Nothing is broken, Madam,” Marinette said, biting back her anger. “I’ll be more careful in the future.”

“See to it that you are.”

Marinette picked herself and her serving tray up off the ground, her knees hurt, and they’d likely bruise, but she’d had worse.

“It’s a good thing we didn’t take her to the festival after all,” Lila said, her voice sickeningly sweet. “Just imagine if she’d fallen like that in front of the prince. It would have been _so_ embarrassing.”

Marinette gripped her tray so tightly her knuckles turned white, and she was glad that her back was to her stepfamily so they couldn’t see her face. Marinette took a deep breath, _don’t rise to the bait._ “Yes, it would have been.”

“You’re lucky you’ve got us to look out for you,” Lila continued, “Otherwise who knows what might have become of you.”

 _Nothing that could be worse than this._ “Of course, Lila.” Marinette fled back to the kitchen, slamming the tray down with a bang.

Duusu twittered at her from the window, and Marinette sighed. “Sorry, Duusu. They just make me so _mad_.”

Duusu gave her an understanding chirp, and Marinette turned to get his birdseed before continuing, “I just want to get out of here. Start a new life, where I’ll never have to deal with my stepfamily again.” Orikko landed on the windowsill, and Marinette gave him a smile before adding a little more seed.

Duusu gave her a questioning chirp, and Marinette gave him a half smile in return. “I can’t though. I’d never make it on my own, without any funds or property. And I _won’t_ let them push me out of my home.”

Orikko gave an angry cheep, and Marinette smiled at him. “Don’t worry. The day I get married, I can kick all three of them out of the house, and we’ll never have to see them again.”

Her bird friends twittered in unison, and Marinette giggled. “I think I might have met someone, too.” Marinette spun in an excited twirl, her good mood returning once more. “Maybe I’m getting a little ahead of myself to think it, I don’t even know his name just yet, but there’s just something about him. I really think he might be the _one_.”

Duusu whistled excitedly, bringing Marinette’s attention back to him. “Alright, tonight’s mission: make a proper introduction!”

The birds chirped happily, and even the sharp ringing of the servant bell couldn’t banish Marinette’s mood. She was going to get through this mess, she could feel it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Félix paced the courtyard anxiously, waiting for the arrival of the young woman he’d met the night before. Adrien had insisted on helping Félix get away from the ballroom, and had even enlisted Kagami’s help in creating a distraction. The only drawback to Adrien’s assistance was that he had also insisted that Félix invite his dance partner back to the ballroom.

The ballroom that was filled with catty suitors, who were all desperately trying to vie for his attention. The ballroom that was being watched by his father, who would have happily sold Félix off to any one of those suitors if Emilie hadn’t been around to say no.

The ballroom where it would be nearly impossible for Félix to remain anonymous.

And that was the real problem. Last night had been the first time he’d ever been treated as a normal person, instead of as the crown prince. His mysterious lady had no expectations for him, she didn’t want any favors from him, and most importantly, she wasn’t afraid of him because of his position. Félix didn’t want to lose any of that.

On the other hand, there was his father to think about. The man expected to see Félix courting a young lady, and Félix knew that if he spent the whole night hiding away again he’d be receiving quite the lecture in the morning. If Félix returned to the ballroom with his lady, though, his father would be ecstatic, which was likely the reason Adrien had insisted that Félix do just that.

_But at what cost?_

Félix didn’t think that his lady would turn into a desperate suitor the moment she learned he was a prince, in fact he was certain that she wouldn’t, but he would be a fool if he thought that nothing would change between them. His being a prince would change everything about their courtship, being his wife would come with endless responsibilities and duties, and not everyone was interested in having that much power. But...she would have to find out the truth eventually, if he was going to court her properly. And the more he thought about it, the more he _did_ want to court her properly.

He’d have to tell her eventually, and sooner would almost certainly be better. _Tonight then._ _But how to do it?_

“It’s good to see you again.”

Félix turned, and there she was. A vision in black and red, with blue eyes full of kindness. She was just as breathtaking as he remembered her being, and every greeting he might have planned to give her flew from his mind in the face of his awe at just seeing her. “You came back.”

“Of course,” she said, smiling at him. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

Félix returned her smile, and offered her his arm when she stepped closer. “Would you be willing to join me in the ballroom tonight?” _No sense in waiting._

For a moment, she seemed to hesitate, and Félix belatedly remembered that they’d only met because she had been hiding from someone in the ballroom. He hadn’t thought of it before, but what if she didn’t want to risk going back in?

He thought she might refuse for a moment, but then she took his arm with a smile. “Of course.”

Félix was relieved until he remembered why he’d been so nervous to ask her in the first place. He could only hope that no one would dare to interrupt them before he explained things.

“Is everything alright?” Félix turned to see the concerned eyes of his lady, had his nerves really been so obvious to her?

“Yes, of course. I just...” Félix paused, “I know that it would be rude not to introduce myself to you properly, but I must admit, I’m nervous to do so.”

“You don’t have to tell me your name if you don’t want to,” she said, giving him a bright smile. “To be honest, I’m not sure I want to introduce myself just yet either.”

Félix wasn’t sure what he’d done to earn the privilege of meeting this woman, but he was determined not to mess things up with her. “In that case I suppose it can wait.”

Félix led his lady to the main ballroom, and did his best to ignore the stares and not so subtle whispers of the other guests. He didn’t care if they whispered and gossiped so long as they didn’t intrude, so he ignored them and led the way to the dance floor.

Seated across the ballroom, King Gabriel watched with joy as his eldest son dance with a mysterious woman in red and black. He’d started to lose hope that Félix would ever find a wife, but now it seemed the boy had finally found someone who met his impeccably high standards. She was beautiful too, and her steps were practiced and graceful in a way that spoke to having had proper lessons.

“Nathalie? Do you recognize that woman?”

“No, Sire,” his advisor replied, frowning as she watched the couple dancing across the room. “Would you like me to try and identify her?”

“No, that’s alright,” Gabriel responded. He didn’t care who she was, so long as Félix would marry her she could be a scullery maid for all Gabriel cared. Though he didn’t think that was the case, given the intricacies of her dress. Only a noble could afford a dress like that, though the king had no ideas as to who she might be. Perhaps she was visiting from a neighboring kingdom? Or a younger daughter, perhaps? Lord Kubdel had a daughter, perhaps this was her?

Gabriel scanned the room again, taking note of the whispers and glares of some of the other guests. Félix hadn’t quite managed to remain anonymous, so it was only a matter of time before the entire room knew that the prince was dancing with a mystery woman. He could already see the jealous plots forming. “Keep the other guests away from them, if you can do so subtly.”

“Of course, Sire.” Nathalie bowed before making her way towards the dance floor. Gabriel settled back in his chair and started thinking of possible wedding plans. The wedding of the crown prince would need to be big, bigger than Adrien’s wedding to Princess Kagami for certain.

Félix spun his mysterious partner around, and the pair moved away from the king, and in so doing, they inadvertently moved closer to another pair of watchful eyes.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Lady Audrey had spent her whole life fighting for power. She’d worked her way up from nothing, using her cunning and beauty to build a life of luxury for her family. Loveless marriages, untimely deaths, and a flawless smile were how she’d built her fortune, but she’d always wanted more from life. After all, money only got you so far in the face of real power, and she _craved_ real power.

The royal festival had seemed like the perfect opportunity to get it, too. After all, she had two beautiful daughters, and King Gabriel’s ploy seemed all too obvious to a seasoned schemer like herself. Audrey had been confident that her daughters could win the prince over before any of the harlots that had flocked to the palace, but she hadn’t counted on anyone like the woman he was dancing with now.

The woman was mysterious and beautiful, and she outshone the other attendants with a natural ease. She was graceful, charming, and _painfully_ familiar. Audrey was certain that she’d seen that woman before, but for the life of her she couldn’t figure out who she was. It was incredibly annoying.

Regardless of who she was, the girl was an obstacle, and therefore needed to be removed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Marinette lost track of the hours as she danced with her mysterious partner, chatting and laughing in between songs. They were technically surrounded by people now, but Marinette still felt as though they were alone in their own little world. She barely registered the stares and whispers of the other guests, too focused on the pale green eyes across from her.

Their waltz came to an end, and her partner drew her close as they waited for the next song to begin. “You’re quite the dancer.”

“Thank you, my lady,” he said, giving her a smile. “You’re quite skilled yourself.”

Marinette blushed. “Thank you.”

Her partner’s smile faltered a bit, and he seemed a bit unsure of himself for a moment. “I need to tell you—”

“Mind if I cut in?”

Marinette stiffened, then turned to see Lila. The girl’s face was obscured by her fox mask, but Marinette knew that if it wasn’t there her stepsister would be wearing one of her sugar sweet smiles. _If she recognizes me…_

“I do mind, actually,” her partner said, frowning at Lila, who visibly deflated.

“Ah, of course,” she said, “It’s just that I and some of your other guests have been feeling a bit neglected, your highness.”

Marinette felt her partner stiffen, but she was hardly listening as he responded to her stepsister. _Your highness?_

Lila left and the music began again, and Marinette let herself be led in a simple waltz, her mind racing as she went over every interaction she’d had with her partner and put it all up against what she knew of the royal family.

_“But you see dear, this festival isn’t just for fun. The king is very clearly trying to find Prince Félix a wife.”_

_“I’m here to avoid some rather unpleasant guests myself.”_

_“And then he was just_ gone _. And he never came back to keep talking to us either.”_

Her mystery man was Prince Félix.

“You’re Prince Félix.”

“I’d been hoping to tell you myself,” he said, his eyes locked over her shoulder. “I’m sorry I waited too long to do so, and I hope that you don’t think less of me because of it.”

“Of course not,” Marinette said. “You never lied to me, and we both agreed to skip introductions.”

“Yes, but I’m afraid that this may change things.”

It did. Oh, it changed everything. He was a prince, after all. Marinette had spent the last five years as a servant. How could she ever meet the standards of a prince? “I—”

Marinette was cut off by the chiming of the hour. _Midnight again._ “I have to go, I’m sorry.”

“Wait, please,” Félix said, tightening his hold on her for just a moment.

“My curfew.”

“I know, but please, promise me you’ll return tomorrow night? Please?” There was a hint of desperation in his voice, and he seemed genuinely afraid of never seeing her again.

“I promise,” Marinette said, nodding. She had so much to think about, but she didn’t want this to be their last interaction either. Félix released her, and she fled the castle without so much as a glance behind her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Gabriel hadn’t been concerned when he saw Félix’s mystery partner leaving the ball a few hours early. It may have been a bit abrupt, but the pair had been dancing for several hours by that point, and if she’d tolerated his son for that long it seemed unlikely that the boy would have offended her later.

Of course, that attitude changed when he saw his son at breakfast. Félix barely ate anything, and was even quieter than usual. Not even Emilie could get him to say more than a few words, and he was clearly distracted.

“Félix, why don’t you tell us about the young lady you were dancing with last night,” Gabriel said, missing the warning look his wife was sending his way. “I didn’t recognize her, what’s her name?”

He did see Félix flinch at the question. “I’m not sure who she is. We haven’t really had a proper introduction yet.”

Emilie sighed deeply. She loved her son, she really did.

“Does she know who you are?” Gabriel asked, unsurprised by his son’s lack of manners.

Félix shifted uncomfortably. “She does. One of the other guests sort of introduced me by interrupting towards the end of the night.”

Gabriel frowned. “Is that why the girl left early?”

“No,” Félix said, just a bit too quickly to be natural. “She left at twelve the first night as well. She has a curfew.”

Gabriel had never heard of someone imposing a curfew for a ball, but he supposed there was a first time for everything. “Will she be back again tonight then?”

“She said she would be,” Félix answered, though he seemed a bit unsure about that fact. Gabriel frowned.

“Well, let’s hope you have the sense to get her name this time,” he said, mind already turning on how he could identify the girl himself. It wasn’t that he didn’t have faith in his son’s social skills, it was just that...well, he didn’t have faith in his son’s social skills. And Félix had chased off so many suitors already.

Gabriel needed to find out who that girl was, and he only had until midnight to do it. Unless...unless he could find a way to stop her from leaving. He knew when she would be leaving, so it wouldn’t be difficult to set some sort of trap. He was quiet for the rest of breakfast, a plan slowly forming in his mind for how he could catch his son’s mystery girl.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After breakfast, Félix had fled his family’s company in favor of the library. Unfortunately, not even books could cure his anxiety over how he’d been revealed last night. It’d be a disaster.

When his hiding place was discovered by his brother and soon to be sister-in-law, they barely had to ask before he was telling them everything. By the time he finished, Adrien became more determined than ever to help his brother, though he still thought Félix was being a tad bit dramatic.

“She hates me, Adrien.”

“That seems unlikely,” Adrien said, “She wouldn’t hate you just because she found out that you’re a prince.”

“Except that she found out that he’s Prince _Félix,_ specifically,” Kagami said. Adrien glared at her, and she shrugged. “Your brother doesn’t exactly have the best reputation, love. What if she’s one of the suitors he rejected?”

“She isn’t,” Félix said, “I’ve never met anyone like her before. But she’s clearly _heard_ of me, you should have seen her face when she realized.”

“She was wearing a mask, so I don’t think you can use her face as an accurate gauge,” Adrien said, frowning. “She said she’d come back, didn’t she?”

“Well yes,” Félix said, “But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t hate me. She could have just said that so I’d let her go.”

“You would have let her go regardless,” Kagami said, and coming from her it sounded vaguely like a threat.

“Of course, but what if she didn’t know that?” Félix said, “What if she took it as a threat? I don’t exactly have the best of reputations with women.”

“Your reputation is for being rude, not for threatening anyone,” Kagami reprimanded. “Things were fine before she knew, they’ll be fine after. She was probably just surprised.”

Félix sighed. “I hope you’re right.”

“Of course she is,” Adrien said, grinning at his fiancé. “Kagami is _always_ right.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“He’s a _prince!_ ” Marinette said, trying to keep her freakout to a whisper as she paced the kitchen. “A prince, Duusu!”

The bird in question tittered at her in clear exasperation, though Marinette wasn’t sure how a bird could possibly be exasperated.

“Oh, I just don’t know what to do. He’s so wonderful, and I suppose that makes sense for a prince, but just. He’s so sweet and thoughtful, and I really do think I could see a future with him,” Marinette said, sighing dreamily as she slipped into a daydream of spending more time with Félix. _Prince_ Félix. _Oh that’s right, he’s a prince._ “I don’t know if I can marry a prince.”

Duusu gave her a questioning chirp, and Marinette sighed before dropping heavily into the chair she kept by the window. “If I married a prince, I’d have to be queen someday. I don’t know if I could handle that. I haven’t had lessons in _years,_ Duusu. And even as a child, I was never taught anything about court life or politics. I’m not _remotely_ qualified for conducting queenly business.”

Marinette slumped in her seat, her mind slipping to thoughts she hated to think. “I don’t even know if he’d be interested in the real me. I hear he’s picky about suitors. What if he only _thinks_ he’s interested in me because I look like a noble? He _is_ a prince, after all.”

Duusu chirped sadly, then hopped over to her shoulder to nuzzle her cheek. She smiled and leaned into it. “Thanks Duusu.”

The shrill whistle of the tea kettle had her up on her feet once more, and Marinette did her best to push all thoughts of Prince Félix out of her mind. She’d see him again that night, and there was no real sense in running over the same what-if’s and worries all day when nothing could be decided without talking to him first.

Marinette carefully loaded the teapot onto the lunch tray, then made her way out of the kitchen to serve her stepfamily.

“She’s _hardly_ the right fit for a prince,” Lila was saying as Marinette entered the dining room. “Sure she’s _pretty_ , but when I spoke to her last night she couldn’t say a _word_ back to me. No one would want a queen that’s as quiet as a mouse.”

“If that’s the case, I’m sure the prince was ecstatic to see you,” Chloé said, her tone as sweet as it was sharp. “Oh, wait! He sent you off, didn’t he? Oh, what _was_ it he said?”

“Chloé—” Lila started, glaring at her sister, but Chloé cut her off with a snap.

“Oh, _now_ I remember. He said he no need for a manipulative, silver-tongued fox!” Chloé finished with a grin. Lila gripped her fork so tightly that it started to bend, but Marinette was too busy thinking back to last night to be too upset about it. Had he really said that? She hadn’t really been listening, she’d been too surprised at learning who he was.Though Lila wouldn’t be so upset if Chloé were lying...

“Now, now girls. We must be united on this issue,” Audrey chided. “The prince has a reputation of sounding harsh at first meetings, this is nothing unexpected.” _Really?_

Marinette was on autopilot as she poured the tea and served the food. Audrey’s claims about Prince Félix didn’t sound anything like the boy Marinette had talked to. He’d been a bit awkward at times, but he had never once been rude to her. But then again, she’d heard the stories about the prince’s treatment of suitors. When Princess Kagami had first come to visit the palace, there’d been a rumor that Prince Félix had nearly started a war by insulting her, and it was only narrowly avoided by her engagement to Prince Adrien.

“Marinette!” Lila’s sudden reprimand pulled her out of her thoughts, and she jerked the teapot up right. _Oh dear._ She’d been thinking too hard, and now Lila’s teacup had been filled to the point of overflowing.

“Sorry!” Marinette said, rushing to set down the teapot and get a napkin to clean the mess. She’d have to wash the table cloth as soon as possible, and she could only hope she’d be able to get the stain out.

Chloé scoffed. “You’re lucky you can’t be fired, you know. You’d never be able to keep a job in another household.”

Marinette bit back a response, knowing that anything she could say would only get her in trouble. Well, _more_ trouble, since she would undoubtedly be getting punished for spilling the tea anyway.

Audrey lifted one of the spoons that had been victim to the spill, a contemplative frown on her face. “Oh, it’s alright, dear. The silverware needed to be polished anyhow. Marinette, make sure you finish polishing everything before breakfast tomorrow.”

“Yes, Madam,” Marinette said, even as she felt her heart sinking. She’d have to get started straight away if she was going to have any hope of meeting that deadline _and_ attending the last night of the festival tonight. Even then, she would almost certainly be late. Maybe if she woke up extra early tomorrow morning and finished up then?

“I want you to clean my dress, too,” Lila said holding up her arm to show where her sleeve had been stained. Marinette was fairly certain that Lila’s sleeve had been nowhere near the tea cup.

“Of course, Lila,” Marinette said. She was _so_ going to be late tonight.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Félix was worried. The ball had begun over an hour ago, but he still hadn’t seen any sign of his mystery girl. He tried to keep Adrien and Kagami’s assurances in mind, but they offered little comfort in the face of her absence. He knew it was unlikely that his name alone could have messed things up. He knew that she was too genuine to have lied about her intentions to come back. He knew that despite their anonymity, things had been going well.

And yet she still wasn’t there, which left him on edge and unable to stay in one place. He kept walking back and forth from the ballroom to the courtyard where they’d met, doing his best to ignore the gaggle of women that were following along behind him. So far none of them had tried to approach him, but that could only last so long, given his luck.

Sure enough, he was just making his way back into the ballroom after his most recent circuit when he heard someone clear their throat behind him. Félix did _not_ slump in defeat, but his face was fixed firmly in a frown as he turned around.

Imagine his surprise to see exactly the girl he’d been looking forward to seeing the most.

“You came back,” Félix was stuck between joy and shock, and his voice came out as barely a whisper.

“O-of course, your highness,” she said, smiling at him before slipping into an awkward curtsy. Félix felt his heart sink a bit at the formality, but he knew it was the best he could have expected from her.

“Félix is fine,” he said, holding out a hand to her. She took it with a smile, and nodded as she stepped closer to him.

“I’m sorry I was late, Félix,” she said, a light blush peeking out from behind her mask. “Something came up that I had to take care of immediately.”

“I understand,” Félix said, giving her a smile. “We can’t all have our schedules built around attending festivals.”

She laughed, and the sound was absolutely magical. Everything about her was magical to him.

“Will you dance with me?” he asked.

“I would be honored,” she answered, nodding before allowing him to link their arms and lead her towards the dance floor. As the pair spun around the dance floor, Félix forgot all plans of trying to get her name, too wrapped up in her eyes and her laugh for anything else.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Nathalie wasn’t sure that she approved of the king’s plan, but it was still her job to enact it. Hopefully the prince’s mystery girl would understand Gabriel’s reasoning for stopping her, and would also be willing to marry the prince despite this night’s end.

She still didn’t like it, and if Gabriel had been anyone else, she would have refused outright. But...Nathalie had been the king’s right hand since he took the throne, and she knew him well. She was confident that if this mystery girl refused, Gabriel would respect the answer and let her go.

Even so...as she directed the servants on where to lay down the pitch that would stop the girl from fleeing, she couldn’t help but have them leave a path. Only a small one, of course, but enough of one that if someone were careful, and if they were paying attention, they would be able to make it through without getting stuck. She tried to think of it as a test, of sorts. If the girl was clever enough to make it down the steps on her own, she’d be worth the trouble of tracking down afterwards.

She only hoped she’d be up for the task.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Marinette’s heart was split. Prince Félix was charming and handsome, and she felt so at ease talking with him, even now that she knew who he was. Being in his arms was perfect, except for the little voice inside her head telling her she could never belong there.

She wished she knew who Félix thought she was, but she didn’t know how to ask without being forced to tell him the real answer: she was a servant who hadn’t received an education past what she had been taught by age thirteen. She struggled with reading, she barely remembered arithmetic, and she’d never learned much of anything about politics or courtly manners. She’d remembered learning her mother’s native tongue as a child, but time had erased the language from her memory. Marinette had none of the knowledge that would make her qualified to be a queen, and to be a queen _had_ to be what Félix was expecting of her.

She didn’t want to lose the way he was looking at her now, as if she were someone precious and valued. Maybe it was selfish to want to keep him in the dark, but...it’d been such a long time since anyone had looked at her that way. How could she give that up? Maybe it was just wishful thinking, but when Félix looked at her she _swore_ his eyes held the same gleam that had been in her father’s eyes when he looked at Maman before she had passed. Marinette had always wanted to find that, she had been looking for love like that her whole life, and she had _found it._ How could she give it up?

How could she go back to a house that no longer felt like home and be happy there after all of this? If she left Félix tonight she’d never see him again. She’d only ever have memories, and the fantasy of what could have been.

Of course, telling him who she was didn’t guarantee that he’d stay in her life. Wouldn’t it be better to never know what may have been than to have it confirmed beyond a doubt that nothing could ever happen between them? Marinette was torn between risking her heart and clinging to safety, and she had never missed her parents more.

“Are you alright, my lady?” Félix asked, pulling her out of her thoughts and back into the moment.

“Yes, I’m alright. Just thinking,” she said, gracefully moving into a twirl before coming back into his arms. She supposed it was only to be expected that a prince would be such a good dancer, but that fact didn’t stop her heart beating faster every time he proved it.

“What are you thinking about?” He asked. “If you don’t mind my asking.”

She smiled. _He’s so considerate._ “About the future, and what I might like to do with it.”

“Oh? And what would you like to do?”

“Well that’s just the problem, I don’t know,” she said, frowning. _Was now the time to ask?_ “What about you? What would you like for the future? That is, if you don’t mind my asking.”

“I...I’d like _you_ . I believe I could handle anything, if I had you by my side. And I think, if you’re willing to do so, that you’d make a brilliant queen,” Félix said, and Marinette felt her blush rising even as her heart started to sink. _I really wouldn’t._

“You’re much too kind,” she said instead.

Félix laughed lightly, and his green eyes sparkled under the light of the chandelier. “You’re the only one to think so, I’m afraid.”

He spun her one again, and Marinette wished in vain that this night would never end.

“Would you be willing, though?” Félix asked, his voice growing soft with hesitance.

“I…” Marinette didn’t have an answer. She couldn’t say yes while knowing that she couldn’t be what he needed, but she couldn’t seem to give voice to the word no, either. “I’m not sure I—”

She was cut off by clock striking midnight, and as she realized that she’d run out of time she felt her heart fill with panic. “I have to go.”

“Wait, please,” He said, holding tight to her hand when she tried to pull away.

“Félix, my curfew,” she said, and she knew by the hesitation in his eyes that he’d let her go if she pulled away again. The thought filled her with relief and disappointment.

“I know, but please, will I be able to see you again?” he asked, his eyes full of hope and worry and Marinette didn’t know how to tell him that she wasn’t what he thought she was.

“I hope so,” she said, and this time when she pulled her hand away he let her go. “I really do hope so.”

Marinette turned and ran, quickly weaving through the crowd and making her way out of the ballroom.

“Halt! By order of the king!”

The voice echoed through the hallway, and Marinette spotted the guard ahead of her and turned to avoid him. There were other guards, and some of them chased her, but there was always another hall for her to escape through. It was all painfully convenient, and it felt as though she were being herded along, but she had no other option but to go along with it.

She was worried that the guards would send her in circles, but then she made it outside, and hoped that that meant she’d gotten away. She followed the stone path towards the stairs that led to the palace gate; it wasn’t the way she usually left but that was hardly an issue.

She didn’t see the pitch until it was too late, and she nearly fell over when her shoes caught in it. _Oh dear._

She lifted her skirt to see that _yes_ , she _was_ stuck in place. She could probably still pry up her slippers though, if she was quick enough. She stepped out of the glass slippers and set to work.

“Halt!”

The guards had made it outside, so she needed to hurry. She wondered if the prince knew that the guards were chasing after her. _Will he look for me if I get away?_

The thought almost made her pause, because she desperately wanted the answer to be yes. Of course, if he were to succeed she would have needed to leave him a clue, which she hadn’t thought to do.

If Félix searched for her, it would be up to him to look outside the ranks of courtly ladies. She could be certain he wouldn’t be disappointed, if he went through the trouble of finding her. Too bad she hadn’t left him something to search with. Marinette pulled the first slipper free of the pitch, sighing as she started on the next one. _Wait…_

Maybe it was a bit of a risk, but the slippers were magic, right? If she left him one, the choice would be his: find her or don’t. Perhaps it was a long shot, but this wasn’t a choice she felt she could make.

She picked up the slipper she’d freed and then turned to look for a path down the stairs, grinning as she found the pattern that wound down the staircase.

“Halt! In the name of the king, you must halt!”

Marinette was already running, and she was even faster now that she wasn’t wearing glass slippers. The guards never had a chance of catching her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“You tried to _what?_ ” Emilie was too shocked to be properly angry with her husband, but she certainly wasn’t happy with him. The clear horror on Félix’s face was very quickly bringing her anger to life, though.

Gabriel gave a long suffering sigh. “I was only trying to ensure that we didn’t lose track of her forever.”

“And how did that go?” Emilie asked, then turned to the guardsman who had revealed her husband’s questionable plot by announcing the girl’s escape. “Did you manage to catch her name while you were chasing her around the palace?”

The guard flinched back from the queen’s anger, and Emilie tried to tone it back a bit. _He_ wasn’t responsible for this, he’d only been obeying orders.

“Well, no, your grace,” he started, and she turned to face her husband, ready to scold him properly for most likely terrifying that poor girl. She didn’t expect the guard to continue speaking. “But, my men did find _this_ , and we believe she left it intentionally.”

The guard had pulled out a small slipper made of red glass. Félix took it carefully, holding it almost reverently. He frowned and rubbed his sleeve over a spot of black on the slipper. “What is this?”

“Pitch, your highness,” the guard answered. Emilie shot another glare at her husband. “The other slipper was stuck as well, but she took that one with her. The guards who saw her go said they still wouldn’t have caught her if she’d stayed to get this one, so we believe she left it on purpose.”

“We can use it to find her,” Gabriel said, his expression growing pensive. “Glass shoes are rather unique, we should be able to find out who made it and for which family. We’ll have her found by tomorrow evening.”

“And you’ll be apologizing when we do,” Emilie said, her tone leaving no room for argument. Gabriel conceded with a sigh, then dismissed the guardsman. Her husband was still in trouble, but Emilie would at least wait until they were alone before berating him. “Félix, dear, why don’t you head to bed? We’ll start the search tomorrow morning.”

Word was sent to every shoemaker and glassmaker in the area, asking around for anyone who’d bought pure glass slippers. Word came back that no one had made any such slippers, nor could they have, if asked. Gabriel widened the search, first to the whole kingdom and then to those surrounding, but when a fortnight had passed and he still hadn’t found anyone who could even _make_ glass slippers, he was ready to give up.

Félix was disheartened, though part of him didn’t think it could ever have been so easy. He was almost starting to believe that the guards had been mistaken, and that his lady had simply believed that she had to leave the shoe in order to escape his guards. He still wanted to find her, of course, but he wasn’t sure how to go about it.

It was actually Kagami who gave him the idea, while she and Adrien were attempting to cheer him up.

“I still can’t believe we couldn’t figure out where they came from,” Adrien said. “I mean, they can’t have just magically popped into existence, right?”

“I don’t understand why she would willingly wear shoes made out glass,” Kagami said, frowning at the slipper in question. “They’d have to fit _perfectly_ in order to be comfortable, which I suppose they _do_ , if she could dance so much.”

“That’s it!” Félix said, grinning at his soon to be sister-in-law. “Kagami, you’re brilliant.”

“I agree, but I’m not sure what you mean,” Adrien said, tilting his head in confusion.

“The slippers _must_ fit her perfectly,” Félix said. “Which means if I can find the girl who can wear this slipper—”

“Then you’ll have found your mystery girl!” Adrien finished.

“That might take awhile,” Kagami warned. “And you’re going to have to go through quite a few impostors.”

“I know,” Félix said, his excitement tempering a bit at the reminder. “But I have to try.”

“I’ll tell father,” Adrien offered, knowing that things had been a bit tense between Félix and their father. “It’s still early, we can make an announcement today.”

“Thank you, Adrien,” Félix said, smiling. He tried not to get too hopeful, as there was still no guarantee that he would find his lady, but for the first time in a while he had _hope_ that there was still a chance for them. _Please, let there be a chance._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Marinette had nearly stopped hoping, after two weeks had passed without word from the prince. Perhaps he didn’t know she wanted him to find her? Or maybe her slipper hadn’t been enough of a clue to leave, and he’d gotten stuck? She didn’t want to think that he may have given up after realizing that she wasn’t a member of the court, but as the days went by it seemed more and more likely.

It made her sad, but, well, that had been the reason she hadn’t just told him her name to begin with, wasn’t it? She couldn’t really be upset that he lost interest in her for the very reason that she had decided would make it impossible for them to be together. _If_ he had lost interest _,_ the more optimistic part of her mind insisted.

Marinette spent those two weeks trying to bury her woes in work, cleaning everything she could possibly clean and working herself until she could do nothing but fall straight to sleep each night. Her dreams were always about Félix, half memory and half fantasy, filled with endless dances and laughter, and kisses she wished had happened in the waking world. Waking up was a little bittersweet.

After a fortnight of nothing, Marinette finally heard the announcement that gave her hope that she hadn’t messed things up after all. And it all started with Chloé shrieking like an overexcited banshee.

“Mother! Mother you’re never going to believe what the harold just said!” Chloé said, nearly shoving Marinette over the banister the smaller girl was currently polishing as she ran past.

“Chloé, I’ve told you not to shout,” Audrey said, frowning as she came to a stop at the top of the stairs, Lila trailing behind her. “What’s going on?”

Chloé was too giddy to even frown at the reprimand. Marinette didn’t think she’d seen the girl so excited since the announcement of the festival. _Wait…_

“Remember that harlot who was dancing with the prince?” Chloé sneered. Marinette glared at the floor. “She left a slipper behind, and the king just decreed that the first girl to get the slipper to fit will marry the prince!”

“What’s the catch?” Lila asked, suspicion on her face. “And who gets to try on the slipper? Do we just go to the castle?”

“Starting tomorrow the prince himself will be going around and having every eligible lady try the slipper on. They’ll do the city first, and then the surrounding homes,” Chloé said, then sighed dreamily. “By the end of the week, I’ll be engaged to the prince.”

Marinette would normally laugh at Chloé’s delusions, but something else caught her ear. “ _Every_ eligible girl?”

Chloé rolled her eyes. “ _Yes_ , every. A waste of time to let peasants try it, if you ask _me_ . Even _I_ know that little floozy must have been rich.”

Marinette took a minute to breathe deeply, trying not to draw attention to herself. Thankfully, no one was paying attention to her at the moment.

“It _can’t_ be that simple,” Lila insisted, “What’s to stop someone from just forcing their foot into the slipper?”

“Oh, it’s glass,” Chloé said, frowning a bit. “It can’t be bent or warped, I suppose. I’ll make it work anyhow.”

“How much notice will we get before the prince arrives?” Audrey asked, “We’ll need the house to be spotless. Marinette, polish the staircase, and make sure the parlor is gleaming.”

Marinette bit back the urge to point out that she was _already_ polishing the staircase. “Yes, Madam.”

“And make sure we have tea and refreshments ready to be served at all times,” Audrey said, ignoring that it was essentially impossible for her to do that. “Girls, pick out all your best day dresses. We must look our best for the prince.”

The three disbanded, and Marinette was left on her own. Without her stepfamily around to bring her down, the reality of Chloé’s announcement really hit her. Félix was looking for her. He really was looking for her. She could feel her excitement building, and she bit her lip to keep back her squeal. All she had to do now was wait a few more days, and then she’d see him again. She could manage a few days.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Prince Félix’s foolish plan to find his mystery girl was just the opportunity Audrey needed to ensure her daughters’ futures. The ball hadn’t gone as intended, but the situation could still be salvaged. All she needed to do was make sure the slipper fit one of her daughters, which could be easily arranged so long as they cooperated. She’d be living in the palace in no time. All she had to do was make sure nothing _unexpected_ happened.

Hidden at the top of the stairs, Audrey had a clear view of her stepdaughter’s excitement. She couldn’t _prove_ that Marinette and the mystery girl were one in the same, but she had a _feeling_ about it. That girl had been annoyingly familiar, and seeing her stepdaughter celebrating now made it all the more obvious to her.

No matter. All she had to do was keep the girl away from the prince, and then all her ambitions would be realized.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It took three days before Kim came to knock at the door to the family’s home, this time to tell them that the prince would be arriving shortly. Marinette did her best to curb her excitement, but she wasn’t sure she’d managed. Audrey surprised her, and ordered her to her room to put on something “At least slightly more presentable, really, how can you expect to greet a prince dressed like that?” Marinette took the opportunity while she could, and changed into a simple blue dress that she usually only wore into town, then took a moment to fix her hair. Should she keep it in pigtails? Put it up in a bun? Leave it down?

She decided to stick with the pigtails, since they _were_ her favorite way to wear her hair, and had just decided to wear her mother’s earrings as well (now completely enchantment free), when the silence of her room was interrupted by the very distinct click of a lock. Marinette frowned and turned back to the door; there was only one way out of her attic bedroom, and it certainly wasn’t through her window. _Surely it couldn’t be…_

Marinette stepped forward and tried to open the door, her heart sinking as she realized that yes, it _could_ be locked. And now she was trapped.

“I’m terribly sorry, dear, but I’m afraid I just can’t take any chances. I’m sure you understand,” Audrey said, not sounding the least bit sorry at all. Marinette struggled and rattled the door, but she’d never get it open, and they both knew it.

Audrey left her stepdaughter behind, a smug smile on her face as she made her way to the parlor to wait. It would have been nice to have a fresh pot of tea, but the one Marinette had made half an hour ago would just have to do. And the sweets her stepdaughter had made were divine, as usual. Pity the girl had gotten in her way, really. She would have made a lovely addition to the palace’s staff.

The prince arrived shortly, along with a stern looking woman that she recognized as the King’s right hand and the little messenger boy that brought the mail. She’d have to keep an eye on him, and ensure that he didn’t mention Marinette.

“Welcome, your highness,” she said, giving the boy her best smile. “My daughters are waiting in the parlor, allow me to lead the way.”

The three followed her inside, and she gave Chloé and Lila an approving smile. The two were sitting with perfect posture, skirts draped artfully around them. _The picture of perfection._

The king’s right hand stepped forward, carefully unwrapping the slipper as she did. “It’s very simple girls, just try on the shoe, and if it’s yours, you have the option of coming back to the palace with us.”

“Are there any other young ladies in your home?” Prince Félix asked.

“No, just the three of us,” Audrey said, giving him a sugar sweet smile. She noticed the messenger boy startle, almost as if he was going to correct her. _That_ wouldn’t do. “Now then, Chloé dear, are you ready to try the slipper on?”

“Of course, Mother,” Chloé said, then gave a nervous glance towards the prince and his entourage. “Er, aren’t you going to step out?”

“Why would we do that?” Prince Félix asked.

Lila gave a scandalized gasp, just as planned. “Well the slippers are a rather tight fit. Like a second skin, really. So my sister and I both will have to take our stockings off, and it just wouldn’t be appropriate to do so front of someone outside the family.”

The king’s right hand sighed, but then nodded. “Of course. We’ll step into the hall, but we _will_ need to actually see the slipper on you.”

“Naturally,” Lila said, smiling sweetly.

Audrey kept her face pleasant and unreadable, but inside she was bursting with pride. Lila had told the lie _perfectly_ , and as the slipper was placed on the table, Audrey felt as though her victory had already been assured.

“Lila, dear, would you keep them company while they wait?”

“I’d be honored to,” her daughter said, leading the way out of the room.

Their guests stepped out, and all smiles vanished. “Get it on, quickly now.”

“Yes, Mother,” Chloé said, pulling off her own slipper and picking up the glass one. “It’s so _tiny_ , how could anyone have feet this small?”

“Can you get it on or not?” Audrey asked, frowning as her daughter struggled with the slipper.

“Maybe? I think I can force it on. Just, ugh! My toe is too big!” Chloé growled in frustration. “The rest of my foot would fit, it’s just my toe!”

“Careful you don’t break it,” Audrey said, trying to think of a solution. Her eyes scanned the room, finally landing on the large knife meant for cutting the cake. “Chloé dear, do you trust me?”

“Of course, Mother,” Chloé answered instantly. _Good girl_. “Do you have an idea?”

“Yes, but it requires a bit of a sacrifice. And you’ll need to keep quiet.”

Outside the room, Lila did her best to keep everyone entertained. It wasn’t easy, and as she tried and failed to engage the prince she was _glad_ her sister was going first. Let Chloé deal with the boy, Lila could find someone else to marry. She had things under control for now, at least.

The muted shriek was a bit of a surprise, but she played it off as a noisy cat, and it seemed everyone was willing to accept that. When Chloé and her mother stepped out of the room they both had wide smiles on their faces.

“Ta dah!” Chloé said, her voice sounding strained as she lifted her skirt enough to show the little red slipper, which fit her foot perfectly.  Lila thought that the red of the glass seemed a bit darker than it had before, though. Apparently Marinette had failed to properly open up the windows and dispel the shadows.

“Oh how wonderful!” Lila said, feigning excitement. “ _My_ sister, set to marry a prince!”

The prince in question was absolutely shocked, though his face showed no signs of it. Félix hadn’t really expected the slipper to fit either of these girls, couldn’t see any trace of the girl he’d spent three nights getting to know in either of them. Could he have misjudged her?

“Wonderful,” Nathalie said, glad to be done with the search. She had far more important things to be doing then dealing with hordes of desperate women. “Would you like to accompany us back to castle then?”

“O-of course!” Chloé said. Félix wasn’t sure why she seemed so much more timid now, she’d seemed rather overconfident when he’d left. Félix offered her his arm, and she took it gratefully, leaning on him heavily as they walked outside to meet the horses.

“No carriage?” Chloé questioned, eyeing the horses warily.

“We didn’t want to be slowed down by it,” Félix answered. “I can help you up, of course.”

“Thank you, your highness,” Chloé answered. Her formality was the first thing to give her away as not being his lady, but it wasn’t until she stepped into his hands and left them bloody that he realized how she’d gotten the slipper on her foot.

“Nathalie?” He called her over, gesturing to the slipper. Now that he looked closer, there was no denying the blood leaking from it.

“Is there a problem, your highness?” Chloé asked, and the sudden strain that had been in her voice suddenly made more sense. Nathalie pulled off the slipper, and revealed that the girl was missing a toe. Félix felt sick. _Why would anyone go to such lengths?_

“I, I can explain,” Chloé said, but she knew that she’d already been caught.

“Miss, you should head to a doctor,” Nathalie said, helping her, or pulling her really, off of the horse.

“Oh dear, your poor foot! What on earth happened?” Lila and her mother were standing in the doorway, the picture of shock and innocence. Lila he could believe had been unaware, but Lady Audrey had been _in the room_ with her daughter, so it seemed nearly impossible that she wouldn’t have known.

“Are you claiming you were unaware of this?” Nathalie asked sharply, apparently having thought the same thing.

“Of course I was!” Audrey insisted. “Do you really think I would have ever let my daughter maim herself? And over a boy, no less!”

“I’m sorry, Mother,” Chloé said, sniffling. “I just couldn’t get it to fit any other way. I just wanted to make our lives better.”

“Oh, Chloé,” Kim wrapped her in a hug. Nathalie made a mental not to never send Kim to deliver any message that required intelligence.

“Kim, would you be a dear and help Chloé wrap her foot? There are rags in the kitchen,” Audrey asked. The boy nodded enthusiastically before lifting Chloé bridal style and taking her inside.

“Well interesting as all of this has been, we best be on our way,” Nathalie said, moving to wrap up the slipper once again.

“Oh, wait, but I haven’t gotten to try the slipper yet!” Lila said, giving Nathalie a pleading look.

“I’m not sure I want to risk anyone else getting hurt today,” Félix said, frowning as the girl stepped closer. He wasn’t sure what it was, but something about Lila was just unsettling to him.

“I thought you were going to let _every_ eligible girl in the kingdom try the slipper?” Audrey said, raising an eyebrow in challenge. “Is my daughter somehow an exception? Or was that always just a rouse?”

Félix frowned. He didn’t like being manipulated, and Audrey’s words were an obvious trap. He knew she had a point, but he didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of winning. He sighed. “Fine, but I don’t want any more injuries—”

“Of course not, your highness!” Audrey said, stepping forward to wrap her arm around Lila’s shoulders. “I won’t take my eyes off of her.”

Lila took the slipper from Nathalie before Félix could protest that that hadn’t been what he meant, but the pair had returned inside before he could. He sighed again, then followed Nathalie back inside. He did _not_ like this family.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Marinette was trapped. She’d probably bruised her hand with how many times she’d banged it on the door, but it didn’t make any difference. The door held firm, and no one was listening anyway.

Frustrated tears burned at her eyes, and she dropped onto her bed in defeat. Her stepmother was determined to ruin her life forever, and it was foolish of her to think that she’d ever be able to escape this horrid household. _I’ll never be free again, will I?_

The tears spilled over, and there was nothing she could do to stop them. She pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around herself, trying to take up as little space as possible. Everything had gone so wrong for her, and so quickly too. She didn’t understand when exactly she’d messed up so horribly, or if it even was her fault that she was in this situation now, but she wasn’t sure that it mattered. The past couldn’t be changed, and it seemed her future wouldn’t be changing either. Not today, anyway.

A sharp tapping at the window startled her, but a quick look up assured her that it was only Duusu, looking for a way in. Marinette scrubbed her tears away and got up to open the window.

“Hello Duusu,” Marinette said, giving him a sad smile. “I don’t have any bird seed up here, I’m sorry.”

Duusu twittered at her in concern, and Marinette gave him a watery smile. “I’m okay. Just a little sad.”

Orikko landed on the windowsill, cocking his head to the side in confusion. Marinette sighed, walking away from the window and towards her closet. In the very back corner was a loose floorboard, and underneath was where she’d hidden her glass slipper, the only piece of her outfit that hadn’t faded away when she last took out the earrings.

“The prince is going to be here soon. Or he’s already here, I don’t know. It doesn’t matter. I’m stuck up here alone, and he’ll never know I’m here,” Marinette managed to hold her voice together, but she couldn’t stop the resurgence of tears as she gently held the glass slipper to her chest. Her feathered friends burst into rapid chirps, though she had no idea what message they might be trying to convey.

Marinette sighed again. She loved her birds, but they didn’t always make the best confidantes. She watched them, tweeting more to each other than to her, and she couldn’t help but smile. They almost seemed to be arguing, though she couldn’t imagine what about.

Both birds fell silent when a sharp yelp rang through the air, and Marinette slipped the slipper into her pocket before moving to the window and leaning as far out as she dared to try and catch a glimpse of what was happening. Duusu took off and flew around the side of the house, and Marinette gave up on trying to see anything. Orikko whistled at her, a few notes that she recognized as one of her favorite songs.

“Are you going to sing?” she asked him, leaning against the window frame. Orikko whistled the notes once more, then hopped and nodded at her expectantly. “Oh, you want _me_ to sing. I don’t know if I’m up for that right now…”

Orikko whistled a third time, and Marinette sighed before giving in, continuing the lullaby as best she could. Her voice was a bit off from crying, but Orikko seemed happy with it, and it _did_ make her feel a bit better. Singing always seemed to brighten her spirits.

She heard Duusu’s familiar trill somewhere below, and she raised her voice in the hope that he might join in. The bird was wonderful at harmonizing. He didn’t join her today, but he did fly back up to her window, twittering excitedly all the while. Orikko seemed to perk up as well, though Marinette couldn’t imagine why. Maybe the yelp had been someone spilling bird seed? Though if so, she wasn’t sure why they were staying with her.

She kept singing, just because it helped to take the weight off of her heart, until her peace was interrupted by the lock turning.

She broke off her singing in surprise, and waited for the door to open.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When Lila came into the hallway, she seemed perfectly at ease, and she was happy to show Félix how perfectly the slipper fit her. He might have believed her too, if not for the slight hesitation in her steps as she made her way outside.

She was doing a good job of hiding it, but something was wrong. Félix was frustrated that they would try the same trick twice, but he had an idea of how to expose her this time. “Will you dance with me, Lila?”

“But there’s no music, love,” she said, smiling sweetly.

“Just like the night we met,” Félix said. It wasn’t quite true, but Lila didn’t need to know that.

“Oh, well then how can I say no?” She said, but Félix could see a new tightness to her smile. Lila kept her rouse up well, until he sent her into a twirl and her ankle gave out on her.

He caught her before she fell, but she couldn’t stop the sharp yelp, or the sudden tears in her eyes. Félix righted her with a sigh. “Will you come clean now, or do we need to take the slipper off ourselves?”

“I don’t know what you mean, dear,” Lila said, but the sweetness of her voice was more forced now. Félix sighed, then turned to Nathalie.

“Can you handle this?”

“Of course, your highness,” she said, taking Lila by the arm and leading her back inside. Félix pinched the bridge of his nose, he could already feel a headache coming on. This really was just such a mess. He’d never expected this search to be easy, but he hadn’t expected to have to deal with self mutilation either.

Félix was about to follow Nathalie inside, when a frantic looking little blue bird landed on the ground before him. It whistled a few notes, then hopped a few steps away before whistling again. The bird watched him, almost looking expectant, and as strange as it was, Félix felt compelled to follow the bird.

It led him around the side of the house, and towards the backyard. Félix wasn’t sure what to expect, but as he neared the backside of the house he could hear singing. He started following the voice more than the bird, trying to find the source of the angelic voice.

He knew he’d never heard this girl sing before, but he thought he may have heard her speak. The voice was familiar in a way that made him certain he must have known her, though he couldn’t match it to a face or name. As he moved closer, he realized that the singing wasn’t coming from the yard at all, but from an open window at the top of the house, though he couldn’t see the girl within.

The blue bird twittered at him, and Félix got the impression that _she_ had been why the bird wanted him to follow it. The voice grew louder, and the bird flew up to the window to meet the singer. Félix could have listened to her sing forever, but what he really wanted was to meet her. _Why hadn’t she come down to try the slipper?_

Félix thought about the rest of the family, then realized there were _several_ possible reasons, and he might have left it alone, except that he remembered Lady Audrey saying there were no other eligible women in her home. If the girl had _chosen_ not to try the slipper, there would have been no reason to lie about her existence.

Félix spun and headed back to the front of the house. Even if the slipper didn’t fit her, he wanted to help that girl. If she was stuck in this house against her will, he couldn’t just leave her with this family.

When he entered the house, Lila and Chloé were sitting sullenly in the parlor, each with one foot wrapped tightly in rags, while Nathalie shouted at Lady Audrey and Kim stood awkwardly off to the side. He would have let her continue, but he still needed to know who the girl upstairs was. Félix cleared his throat, and Nathalie fell silent and directed her attention to him.

“Lady Audrey, you said that you and your daughters were the only ones in the house, correct?”

“Of course, your highness,” she said, though now that he knew the truth he could see the lie. Her eyes tightened just a bit, and her smile took on the slightest edge.

“In that case, who is the girl upstairs?” Félix asked. The look of surprise on her face filled him with a sense of vindictive pleasure. He still wasn’t sure _why_ the girl had been hidden, but he was now certain that she had been.

“Ah, yes, she’s just a servant girl, your highness,” Audrey said, “She didn’t even attend the festival, so she hardly seemed to be worth your time.”

There were quite a few things Félix could say to that, but he already knew what the most satisfying thing would be. “I said I would let _every_ eligible girl try the slipper, Madam. This girl is no exception, and I will not be made a liar. So please, go and fetch her.”

Audrey made a face as though she’d just tasted something sour, but she left the room without argument. Félix nodded towards Nathalie, and she gave a brief bow before following after their hostess. He and the others waited in silence, which none of them made any effort to break. He picked the slipper off the table, and took a moment to wipe away the remaining blood from it.

When Lady Audrey returned, all pretense of pleasantness was gone, but Félix didn’t spare her a glance. His attention was on the dark haired girl who was nervously following Nathalie into the room. She seemed a bit unsure, but when her bright blue eyes landed on him the hope and warmth within was genuine in a way he’d only ever seen from one person.

“Hello, Miss…?”

“Marinette,” she answered, giving Félix a smile that sent butterflies through him when he recognized it. Her eyes flicked to the slipper, then back to his face. “May I try it on?”

“Yes! Of course,” He blurted, forgetting to rein in his excitement. He paused, taking a moment to regain his composure, then gestured to a chair. “Please, sit.”

She did, and slipped off her shoe. Félix knelt before her. “May I?”

“Of course,” she said, though her face turned bright red. Félix carefully slid the slipper onto her foot, ignoring the gasps of the others, but he was nervous to look Marinette in eye.

“A perfect fit,” he said, rising and offering his lady a hand.

The moment seemed to stretch on forever, as he waited to see if she would accept his hand or not. This was the woman who’d danced and laughed with him, who’d treated him as an ordinary person instead of a prince, who’d stolen his heart with bright smiles and kind eyes. She was amazing and clever and wonderful, and he was _so happy_ to have found her, but terrified that he may have taken too long. It had been over a fortnight now, long enough for her to give up waiting on him, or for her to realize that he’d never been worthy of her to begin with.

But then she smiled, and took his hand, and all of his doubts melted away. He helped her to stand, but he didn’t let go of her hand.

Nathalie cleared her throat. “I apologize for interrupting, but in light of recent... _events_ , might it be wise to get some sort of proof that this isn’t just a coincidence?”

“I don’t need any,” Félix said, never taking his eyes off of Marinette.

She blushed and smiled at him, then turned to Nathalie. “I do have some, though.” She reached into a pocket hidden in the folds of her dress with her free hand, and pulled out the matching slipper. Félix had never needed the extra confirmation, but could see the way it made Nathalie relax.

“Will you return to the castle with us, Marinette?” Félix loved getting to say her name. It was just as beautiful as she was, and it reminded him that he knew who she was now. He didn’t think he would ever grow tired of saying it.

“I’d like that very much, Félix,” she said, squeezing his hand for a moment. Félix didn’t think that he’d ever been happier.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Marinette found it easier than expected to adjust to life in the palace. Probably because she had Félix there to help her through it. She’d been worried that her lack of education might be an issue, but the king had simply found tutors for her, and Félix was always there to explain the things she had trouble with. Queen Emilie was personally mentoring her as well, and Marinette started to realize that she wasn’t as unprepared as she’d originally thought.

Prince Adrien had liked her immediately, and on their first meeting took it upon himself to tell her every embarrassing story about Félix there was, much to his brother’s vehement protests. She’d ended up bonding with Princess Kagami while the brothers argued, though the girl had been a bit stiff at first. Kagami had been wary of Marinette when she first came to stay at the palace, worried that she might only be using Félix to advance her station in life.

That fear had passed when she saw the way Marinette looked at Félix when he was looking somewhere else. It was the same way that Kagami looked at Adrien, and it wasn’t something that could be faked.

At the end of the summer, Adrien and Kagami were married. Marinette had gushed over Kagami’s kimono for nearly an hour when she first saw it, it was made entirely of white silk, and the fabric was draped elegantly in a way that made it seem like Kagami was gliding instead of walking. The wedding itself mixed traditions from both their cultures, and Marinette loved getting to learn so much about Kagami’s heritage.

It was small and intimate in a way Marinette hadn’t expected of a royal wedding, and she didn’t recognize the significance of every tradition, but she thought understood the general idea. The cups they drank from just after saying their vows seemed to be an extension of the words they’d said, and when their parents passed the cups around as well she figured it was likely a symbol of their families being joined.

There were also traditions that she _did_ recognize though. Kagami had a very pretty bouquet of white lilies, and when the ceremony was done and the couple kissed everyone threw rice into the air before heading to the reception, which was a much bigger affair. Félix showed her how to use chopsticks at dinner, something she hadn’t done since her mother’s death and had largely forgotten, and the two of them ended up dancing for hours afterwards.

Towards the end of the evening Kagami had agreed to a bouquet toss, though instead of simply tossing it behind her she had outright thrown it at Marinette and Félix, and then laughed about how red their faces got.

Félix hadn’t quite managed a proper proposal yet, though as far as everyone else was concerned their marriage was something of a given. He’d been working up to it in the meantime, and Marinette had already accidentally started designing her dress.

Marinette had been working up to something too, though of a different tone, and a few weeks after the wedding she finally managed it. Taking Félix to her parents’ graves was a big step for her, and that he was willing to go with her meant so much. She wished more than anything that her parents could have been around to meet him, and she knew they would have loved him just as much as she did.

She thought she’d done a pretty good job of keeping her composure, but then Félix had knelt and promised her parents that he would always look after her, and she couldn’t hold back the happy tears after that.

“I love you, Félix,” she said, taking his hands as soon as he stood up again.

“I love you too, Marinette,” he answered, and then he kissed her, and Marinette knew that whatever else happened in their lives, she would always have a home with Félix.

And they lived happily ever after.


End file.
